Beehive.



G. A. HURST.

BEEHIVE. 7 APPLICATION FILED SEPT. Z, 1908.

Patented Apr. 13', 1909.

' 2SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

CHARLES ANGUS HURST, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

BEEHIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 18, 1909.

Application filed September 2, 1908. Serial No. 451,404.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. HUns'r, subject of the King of England, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beehives; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures reference marked thereon, which form partof this specification.

This invention relates tonew and useful improvements in bee hives, and the object in view is to produce a simple and efficient apparatus of this nature, so constructed that a series of individual frames may be bodily reversed without separating the same from the casing in which they are positioned, means being provided whereby the various frames may be individually separated if desired.

T he invention comprises various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

1 illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved bee hive. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the hive. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4C is a cross sectional View adjacent to one end of the hive, showing parts in elevation, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the frames and one of the supporting strips, showing the locking means therefor. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail in perspective of one of the hoops H adapted to hold the frame supporting strips in their relative positions.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A' designates the frame to the bottom of the hive and B, a bottom which is hinged to said frame. One end of said frame is cut away forming a recessed portion B in which the free end of the bottom is allowed to have a swinging movement. In order to hold said bottom in the proper position to allow for asufficient space for the bees to enter the hive, I provide a button C having an elongated slot G therein, and D designates a screw passing through said slot and engaging a threaded aperture in a recess B. By loosening said screw, the button may be raised and lowered and as the free end of the bot-tom rests upon said button, the bottom may be held in different positions by simply tightening the screw which will clamp and hold the button in a fixed position.

The casing for the individual frames is designated in the drawing by letter F, and has closed sides and open top and bottom. Projecting from the inner surfaces of the opposite walls of said casing are the pivot pins G on each of which is pivotally iounted bracket-shaped hooks H adapted to hold the frame supporting strips 1 in their proper relative positions. Each of said supporting strips 1 has one end recessed away, as at 1, adapted to fit underneath an angle iron J which is fastened to the inner surface of the side wall of the casing, as shown clearly in the drawings. The opposite end of the strip 1 has a recess 1 upon the upper edge thereof, the end wall of said recess being undercut in order to allow the finger of a person to easily engage the same when it is desired to remove said strip from the casing. The under edge of the strip at one end is provided with a shoulder i which is adapted to engage a shoulder K formed at the end of the partition board K which is positioned adjacent to one end of a series of individual frames L. Each of said frames L is provided with a plurality of lugs L, preferably two, projecting from each end thereof a slight dis tance from the outer longitudinal edges thereof, and said lugs are adapted to form supports and contact with the inner edges of the strips 1 for supporting the individual frames whether the casing is reversed or otherwise. Said frames are positioned within the casing in such a manner that a slight space will intervene between the upper edges of the frames and the cover N, to allow for a bee space. In order to hold said hooks in retaining positions with the ends of the lateral projections thereof in contact with the side wall of the hive, strips 0 are provided, each having a notch 0' adjacent to its ends, said strips 0 being adapted to be inserted intermediate the board at the end of the series of frames and held adjacent to said hooks by means of the cleats Q fastened to the inner sides of the casing. It will be noted that said hooks will be allowed to swing into the notches O and still engage and hold the strips 1, thus forming means for holding the hooks as well as the strips 1. 7

When the individual frames are assembled Within the casing in the manner shown and described, it will be noted that the whole casing containing the various frames located therein may be reversed without the necessity of taking out the individual frame which is now necessary with bee hives commonly in use, and this may be accomplished in such an expeditious manner that it will not disturb the bees. hen it is desired to remove one or more of the individual frames, theretaining st ips 0 may be withdrawn, the hooks swung back and the strips 1 at the ends of the frames removed, after which the frames may be lifted out of the casing.

lVhat I claim to be new is 1. A bee hive comprising a reversible casing having an open top and bottom, a base portion for said casing, frame supporting strips and means for holding the same within said casing, and a series of individual frames supported and held in place by said strips, as set forth.

9.. A bee hive comprising a reversible casing having an open top and bottom, a base portion for said casing, frame supporting strips and means for holding the same within said casing, aseries of individual frames, and lugs projecting from the ends thereof and adapted to rest upon said strips, as set forth.

3. A bee hive comprising a reversible cas ing having an open top and bottom, a base portion for said casing, frame supporting strips, hooks pivotally mounted upon the walls of the casing and adapted to engage and support said strips, frames, and projections therefrom engaging said strips, set forth.

4-. A bee hive comprising a reversible case ing having an open top and bottom, a base portion for said casing, frame supporting strips, hooks pivotally mounted upon the walls of the casing and adapted to engage and support said strips, frames, projections therefrom engaging said strips, and means for holding said hooks in engagement with the strips, as set forth.

5. A bee hive comprising a. reversible casing having an open top and bottom, a base portion for said casing, frame supporting strips, angle plates fixed to the wall of the casing and engaging recessed ends of said strips, hooks pivotally mounted .upon the wall and engaging recesses in the opposite ends of said strips, and frames having projections on the ends thereof adapted to contact with the inner edges of said strips, whereby the frames may be supported, as set forth.

6. 1 bee hive comprising a reversible cas ing having an open top and bottom, a base portion for said casing, frame supporting strips, angle plates fixed to the wall of the casing and engaging recessed ends of said strips, hooks pivotally mounted upon the wall and engaging recesses in the opposite ends of said strips, frames having projections on the ends thereof adapted to contact with the inner edges of said strips, whereby the frames may be supported, and'means for holding said hooks in engagement with said strips, set forth. I

7. A bee hive comprising a reversible casing having an open top and bottom, a base portion for said casing, frame supporting strips, angle plates fixed to the wall of the cas g and engaging recessed ends of said strips, hooks pivotally mounted upon the veil and engaging recesses in the opposite ends of said strips, frames having projections on the ends thereof adapted to contact with the inner edges of said strips, whereby the frames may be supported, projections upon one of the side walls of the "1g, and hook retaining strips having hes therein adapted to be inserted intermediate the projections upon said walls and said pivotal hooks, as set forth.

8. combination with a reversible casing of bee hive, frame supporting strips and means for holding the same within the casing, individual frames each having pro jections upon the ends thereof adapted to -npf u so to support the frames, a partition mounted adjacent to one end of the series of frames, and means for holding said partition intermediate the series of frames and the side wall of the casing, as set forth.

9. in combination with a reversible hive, individual frames mounted therein, means for fastening said frames in place, a base portion upon which said casing rests, a hi god bottom, a slotted button, a screw carried by said base portion and passing through the slot of said button, said button being adapted to form a support for the swinging end of said bottom, and affording means for holding the latter in adjusted positions, set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES ANGUS HURST. lVitnesses Janus E. CUNLIFF, TRUMAN D. HU'rroN.

with the inner edges of said strips 

